Overview
Welcome to the Office of the County Clerk, it is our goal to provide citizens with accurate, up to date information regarding the daily operations of Lowndes County government. Whether you are interested in filling out an open records request, attending a public meeting, reviewing official action taken by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners, a group presentation, or facility tour, our staff looks forward to any opportunity to demonstrate what sets Lowndes County apart from the rest. Your questions and suggestions are always welcome.
Compliance
The Office of the County Clerk is responsible for Lowndes County's compliance with open meeting requirements and open records requests. In accordance with state law, prior to any regularly scheduled meeting of the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners, a representative of the clerk's office will notify Lowndes County's legal organ, the Valdosta Daily Times. Citizens may also register to receive meeting agendas and approved minutes as soon as they are published to this site, by enrolling in Notify Me.
Meeting agendas will be posted as required in the lobby of the:
Administration Building
327 N. Ashley St.
1st Floor
Valdosta, Georgia, 31601
Records
Do you need the County Clerk or the Clerk of Court? Please read below to find out.
You may obtain county records by contacting the Office of the County Clerk by phone, 229-671-2400, or email bocrecords@lowndescounty.com. Verbal requests will be handled with the same priority as written requests; however, if requests are made in writing requestors are afforded additional time and cost accountabilities under the Open Records Act. This being the case, there could be a slight delay in verbal requests in the event a written request is made. If you need records, but are unsure with regards to making an open records request, please call 229-671-2400 to inquire. Often, records requested are already available on the county's website and staff is happy to direct you. If you need a copy of a record that is on the website, but you are not able to print, staff can help with that as well. If you are looking for court records related to criminal, civil, divorce or child custody matters, please contact the Clerk of Superior Court at 229-333-5127. County ordinances that are most frequently referenced are available on the website's homepage by clicking the county ordinances button. Additional ordinances related to development may be found on the Engineering Department's section of the site. Lowndes County maintains four years of minutes on the county's website. Older minutes may be found by searching the Document Center. It is the intent of Lowndes County to provide citizens with documents managed by their local government. Storage and funding prevent all Lowndes County records from being posted electronically. If you are looking for a record and don't find it on the website, please call 229-671-2400.
Open Government
Open government is a priority for Lowndes County officials and staff; public records belong to the public. If you have a question regarding the availability or format of information, please contact the Lowndes County Clerk for more information. On November 21, 2014, Lowndes County partnered with Valdosta Daily Times Editor, Jim Zachary, to host an Open Government Symposium. Both the presentation and a valuable resource for navigating open records procedures in Georgia are posted below for your convenience.
Open Government Symposium Presentation (PDF)
General Requirements of the Open Meetings Law
"Agencies" Subject To the Open Meetings Law:
- Every state department, agency, board, bureau, commission, public corporation, and authority;
- Every county, municipal corporation, school district, or other political subdivision of this state;
- Every department, agency, board, bureau, commission, authority, or similar body of each such county, municipal corporation, or other political subdivision of the state;
- Every city, county, regional, or other authority established pursuant to the laws of this state; and
- Any nonprofit organization to which there is a direct allocation of tax funds made by the governing authority of any agency as defined in this paragraph and which allocation constitutes more than 33 1/3 percent of the funds from all sources of such organization; provided, however, this sub-paragraph shall not include hospitals, nursing homes, dispensers of pharmaceutical products, or any other type organization, person, or firm furnishing medical or health services to a citizen for which they receive reimbursem*nt from the state whether directly or indirectly; nor shall this term include a sub-agency or affiliate of such a nonprofit organization from or through which the allocation of tax funds is made. (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(a)(1)(A)through(E))
General Requirements of the Open Records Law
"Agencies" Subject To the Open Records Law: As used in the open records law, the term "agency" or "public agency" or "public office" has the same meaning and application as provided for in the definition of the term "agency" in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of the Code Section 50-14-1 and additionally includes any association, corporation, or other similar organization which:
- has a membership of ownership body composed primarily of counties, municipal corporations, or school districts of this state or their officers or any combination thereof; and
- derives a substantial portion of its general operating budget from payments from such political subdivisions. (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70(a))
Anyone wishing to request information from Lowndes County may do so verbally, via email or by using the open records request form. In order for staff to be clear regarding the information that is being requested, it is recommended that requestors utilize the Open Records Request form. Once a request is received, Lowndes County will notify the requesting party within 3 days regarding the availability of information. Please note that the Open Records Act provides for the production, inspection and duplication of existing records; however, it does not allow for the creation of documents, files, spreadsheets, etc.
